Tigard football coach Craig Ruecker knows that colleges will be calling about his two massive junior linemen, Conner Crist and Derek McMurray, in the next year or so.

In the meantime, he is going to enjoy having them on his side.

“Right now, they’re both under scholarship at Tigard High School,” Ruecker said, tongue in cheek. “Yes, I think they could be special. But that’s a long ways away.”

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Crist and the 6-7, 340-pound McMurray are among the state’s most promising juniors. Crist is seasoned after starting all 13 games in 2013. The monstrous McMurray is ready to make his mark after growing three inches and losing about 20 pounds in the last year.

“People know about Conner,” Ruecker said. “While we lost in the semifinals against Central Catholic, Conner had a great game against a great team. So people have noticed him and colleges are very interested. Derek, they’re curious about. How could you not be when you look at somebody who is 6-7, 340 pounds.”

Crist was the only non-senior starter on the offense last year for the Tigers. It took him a while to get up to speed, but he evolved into a force by the end of the season.

“The first seven, eight games he played like an average varsity player,” Ruecker said. “Once we hit the playoffs, he really excelled. He had a great playoff run. He was outstanding.”

Crist’s talent was clear early last season, “but he didn’t play with as much confidence sometimes, as much explosion as he could,” Ruecker said. “By the time we had gone through our league season, he was really feeling better about his abilities. Then he just took off and blocked fantastic in the playoffs.”

Crist is bigger and stronger than last season, when he was listed at 6-3, 265. The Tigers plan to move him from right guard to left tackle and use him at defensive tackle.

McMurray looks like a different player than last season, when he played on the junior varsity at 6-4, 360. A year ago at the Metro Area Lineman Challenge, he bench-pressed 185 pounds three times. This year, he did 28 reps.

“We’re so proud of him,” Ruecker said. “Last year, he was an average JV player. He was kind of sloppy. He struggled to get into his stance and out of his stance, and to move, because he was growing so fast. Right now he fits into his body extremely well. He’s not sloppy at all. And he’s our fastest lineman.”

McMurray will play right tackle and be part of the rotation at defensive tackle, Ruecker said.